The present invention relates to shielded connector, and more particularly to a shielded connector having a strain relief for use in high voltage applications.
Increased fuel costs and increased efforts at reducing environmental pollution have lead the automotive industry towards electric and hybrid electric vehicles (HEV). One design aspect of these vehicles is the consideration or requirements for a relatively high operating voltage. Consequently, specific components of some such known vehicles are designed to accommodate high operating voltages.
In some current automotive industry applications, a high voltage shielded connector is used to provide a stable, sealed mechanical and electrical connection between a high voltage plug connector and a header connector mounted to a metallic module. The connector may need to provide robust shielding continuity from a braided cable shield of an incoming multicore cable that supplies high voltage current to the shield on the plug connector. For example, the connector may need to ensure an electrically conductive pathway that is continuous between an incoming cable and a shield within the connector in order to provide shielding from electromagnetic interference.
One problem with known connectors is that the stiffness of the cable may transmit a high degree of tensile, bending, and torsional strain into the electrical interconnection between the braided cable shield and the plug shield component. For example, the movement of the cable outside of the connector may impart significant strain at interfaces between the cable and one or more components of the connector. The strain may result in separation of the cable from the components at the interfaces and thereby jeopardize the mechanical and electrical performance of the connector.